Effect of arsenic and mercury speciation on inhibition of respiration rate in activated sludge systems

The inhibition effect of arsenite, As(III), arsenate, As(V), inorganic mercury, Hg(II) and methylmercury, MeHg, on the respiration rate of activated heterotrophic sludge microorganisms was evaluated. As(III) and MeHg were much more toxic to activated sludge than As(V) and Hg(II) respectively. The effect of various experimental parameters on the toxicity, such as sludge age, concentration of suspended solids and exposure time, was investigated. An increase of sludge age or the concentration of suspended solids reduces the observed inhibition. Longer exposure seems to dramatically increase the inhibition of As(III), MeHg and Hg(II) during the first hours of exposure, while the later inhibition increases at a slower rate. On the contrary, in the presence of As(V), 24 hours after exposure, the respiration rate was similar to that of the control biomass.     

Carbonyls in the metropolitan area of Mexico City: calculation of the total photolytic rate constants Kp(s(-1)) and photolytic lifetime (tau) of ambient formaldehyde and acetaldehyde

A great number of studies on the ambient levels of formaldehyde and other carbonyls in the urban rural and maritime atmospheres have been published because of their chemical and toxicological characteristics, and adverse health effects. Due to their toxicological effects, it was considered necessary to measure these compounds at different sites in the metropolitan area of Mexico City, and to calculate the total rate of photolytic constants and the photolytic lifetime of formaldehyde and acetaldehyde. Four sites were chosen. Sampling was carried out at different seasons and atmospheric conditions. The results indicated that formaldehyde was the most abundant carbonyl, followed by acetone and acetaldehyde. Data sets obtained from the 4 sites were chosen to calculate the total rate of photolysis and the photolytic lifetime for formaldehyde and acetaldehyde. Maximum photolytic rate values were obtained at the maximum actinic fluxes, as was to be expected.     

Incorporating Collateral Data in Conservation Biology

Abstract:  Conservation biologists often need to set ecological modeling assumptions or estimate parameters from sparse data. In some cases this problem can be addressed by incorporating data from closely related species or from the same species at different sites (i.e., collateral data). Currently no structured methods exist for incorporating such information. An analogous problem in Actuarial science is to set premium rates in situations with little direct data on claim frequency or size. The rates are estimated using actuarial credibility theory, which incorporates collateral data with the direct data. actuarial credibility theory combined with the actuarial control cycle financial management process also provides an adaptive mechanism for updating assumptions. This theory may have some utility for ecologists wanting to incorporate collateral data in an adaptive management framework, a companion to approaches such as Bayesian updating. We describe the historical development of actuarial credibility theory from early ad hoc methods to empirical Bayes approaches. We explore some of the theory's strengths, such as relative simple formulae for incorporation collateral data, and we explore some of the theory's weaknesses, such as the use of the best linear approximation to the Bayes estimate. We illustrate potential applications of the theory using an example on the mortality rate of the Powerful Owl (  Ninox strenua ).     

新型废水生物脱氮的微生物学研究进展

生物脱氮是含氮废水处理公认的最佳处理方式,随着对生物脱氮微生物学原理研究的不断深入,许多新的生物脱氮特殊菌株或菌群及微生物转化机制不断被发现.本文在传统生物脱氮过程机理上,结合最近国内外生物脱氮的新发现,就短程硝化反硝化、同时硝化反硝化、厌氧氨氧化的微生物学原理进行了阐述.图1表2参23     

鹅掌楸和女贞同化CO2和释O2能力的比较

采用LI－6400红外气体分析仪，分别在生长初期、盛期、末期测定鹅掌楸和女贞净光合速率，用重量法测定叶面积。得到女贞的净光合速率、叶面积指数和同化CO2及释O2的能力均大于鹅掌楸的结论，可为城市绿化树种的选择提供依据。     

Exploring Population Dynamics Patterns in a Rare Fish, Zingel asper, through Capture-Mark-Recapture Methods

Abstract:  We performed a capture-mark-recapture study on one of the last populations of Zingel asper , an endemic percid species of the Rhône River basin in France. The distribution of Z. asper has decreased dramatically during the last century. We sampled three sites in suitable habitats in the Beaume River. No impact of individual tagging on survival was found. The demography of the population was analyzed using capture-recapture methods that allow the estimation of survival, recruitment, and demographic growth rates. Annual survival rates were low (0.35–0.50). The level of transience was high (5% to 25%), suggesting that a significant number of individuals were highly mobile or shifted to suboptimal habitats. Seniority rates suggested random highly variable recruitment between years. The three sites had similar variation patterns in all demographic parameters, indicating broad spatial covariation in population dynamics. We found some local differences in demographic parameters, which could be linked to local habitat quality. Individual tagging allowed for the estimation of demographic parameters that improved our understanding of Z. asper population dynamics and revealed mechanisms that may affect population persistence, such as stochastic recruitment, low survival, and frequent dispersal. The fragmentation of habitat through river damming inhibits dispersal and represents a threat to the persistence of Z. asper in the Rhône basin. Our results offer evidence of the importance of dispersal in nonmigratory fishes and confirm the usefulness of individual tagging methods in rare fish demography.     

光生物反应器培养紫球藻及藻粉降血脂的研究

研究了搅拌式光生物反应器中搅拌速度、通气量对紫球藻生长、胞外多糖和藻细胞超微结构的影响．实验结果表明：在特定光照(1000μmolm^-2s^-1)和培养温度(25℃)条件下，当搅拌转速为200r／min、通气量为0．71vvm时，藻生长速度和胞外多糖含量最高；增加通气量有利于藻细胞胞外多糖及生物量的提高．对藻细胞超微结构的观察发现，与摇床培养相比，搅拌式光生物反应器使藻细胞淀粉颗粒明显增多，粘质鞘层变薄，光合片层增多．动物实验表明，紫球藻能明显降低摄食高脂饲料SD大鼠血脂TC、TG、LDL-C水平，并提高HDL-C含量．实验结果预示，紫球藻对预防动脉粥样硬化和冠心病的发生有一定的意义．图2表3参26     

Degradation of Benzo[a]Pyrene in Soil with Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Alfalfa

Mycorrhizal and non-mycorrhizal alfalfa (Medicago sativa) was grown in pots containing soil artificially contaminated with various levels of benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P)(0, 1, 10 and 100 mg kg^–1). Soil and plants were sampled after 30, 40, 50, 60 and 90 days and compared with unlanted pots. The percentage of mycorrhizal root length colonized by Glomus caledoniun was not significantly affected by the addition of B[a]P up to 10 mg kg^–1 but was significantly lower at 100 mg kg^–1B[a]P compared with low concentrations (p < 0.05). There was no difference in soil polyphenol oxidase and dehydrogenase activity among the controls and applications of 1 and 10 mg kg^–1 of B[a]P. However, enzyme activities were significantly higher at 100 mg kg^–1B[a]P compared with the other three treatments, and there was no mycorrhizal effect. Over a period of 90 days the concentration of B[a]P in soil in which alfalfa was grown was significantly lower than in unplanted soil (p < 0.05). Degradation rates of B[a]P added at 1, 10 and 100 mg kg^–1 without G. caledonium were 76, 78 and 53%, and with mycorrhizal inoculation were 86, 87 and 57%. The degradation rate in unplanted soil was significantly lower than in planted soil, and was significantly higher in medium- and low-B[a]P treatments than in the high B[a]P concentration tested. There is a possibility of enhancement phytoremediation of PAHs in rhizosphere soil with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi.     

三种载体上生物膜硝化作用动力学初步研究

通过测定水中COD、：NH4^ —N、NO2^-—N及NO3^-—N的浓度变化，研究了淹没式废水处理装置中沸石、活性炭和沙粒3种载体上硝化作用生物膜的动力学过程和反硝化作用。结果表明，3种载体上生物膜降解有机物(以COD表示)的过程可用一级动力学方程描述，反应速率常数分别为：沙粒0．0848h^-1、活性炭0．1187h^-1、沸石0．1334h^-1。3种载体上生物膜去除氨态氮的过程则可用零级动力学方程描述，反应速率常数分别为：沙粒-0．7743h^-1、活性炭-0．9886h^-1、沸石-1．0714h^-1．附着于沙上的生物膜去除亚硝酸盐氮的过程也可用零级动力学方程描述，反应速率常数为-0．6057h^-1，水中硝酸盐氮浓度较高时，载体沸石和活性炭上可能附着生长反硝化菌。图5表2参15。